Re: Surname Pronunciation


The BesWick (or BessWick) pronunciation comes from the surname of the
founder and the way the name was pronounced in Stoke where the
pottery was made.
This is derived from the 'presumed' pronuinciation which one man
preferred.
But the Manchester district, from which he possibly derived his name,
is pronounced BEZZICK, and most places with a similar derivation will
appear in the past minus the 'w'. Cresswick near High Wycombe has
gone as far as Cressex. (and WICCum, not Why-coombe); Flitwick
Beds, so spelled, is Flittick if you actually need to get there.
so 'wick' will appear as 'ick', and 'well' as 'ell', so frequently it is
something researchers need to be aware of, before they rejected e.g.
Cadell and Cadle as variants of Cadwell (derived from a lost village in
Oxfordshire) .

Place name pronunciation is full of traps for the non-local. Who could
assume that Wyrarddisbury was Wraysbury; Happisburgh, Hayzboro;
Woolfardisworthy, Woolsery; Aslackby, Azelby; Bicester, Bister;
Leominster, Lemster; Worcester half way between Wuster and
Wooster; Leicester, Lester; all Sussex villages ending -ly pronounced
LYE not Lee.
I once came across some travellers anxious to get to Toaster for the
races, unable to read Towcester on the bus next to them
.